Daniel Sprong didn’t get the contract he was looking for in free agency.

But he did get a contract, and he got himself to a team he can’t wait to be a part of under a coach he can’t wait to play for.

Sprong signed with the Canucks over the weekend, and met with reporters today to talk about his decision to sign in Vancouver. The 27-year-old winger admitted that the 1-year deal worth $975,000 wasn’t quite what he had envisioned himself signing when he hit NHL free agency, calling it a “wake-up call.”

From there, the focus shifted to finding the right fit.

“It was a little hectic the first few days,” said Sprong. “I think my camp and I had an idea what we were looking for and that kind of didn’t really happen on the first few days and I think in the business, you know, you want to be out of the market the first couple days, and then after that, it kind of quiets down and things kind of took a turn. Then I just thought the biggest thing was for me to be in a situation where I could be happy and where it’d be a good opportunity for me.”

As a result, it took him a while to sign with a team, and despite multiple suitors to choose from, Sprong ultimately chose to sign on the dotted line with Vancouver. Sprong revealed a big reason for that is a phone call he got from Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, who was an assistant coach during Sprong’s rookie year with the Jim Rutherford-led Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16.

“I talked to Vancouver and spoke to coach Toc and we had a really good conversation on the phone. We’ve known each other when I got drafted by Pittsburgh and I played under him when he was an assistant coach. We had a really good talk, and I felt really happy after that call, and the decision was a no-brainer after that.

Sprong also shared that he has some relationships with his new teammates despite only being a Canuck for a couple of days. Sprong says he’s “good friends” with Elias Pettersson, as the two met on vacation a few years back and kept in touch. He’s also kept in touch with Jake DeBrusk, who was a part of the same draft class as Sprong. He’s also crossed paths with a few other players who he’ll call teammates next season.

Sprong has bounced around the NHL plenty, and the Canucks will mark the sixth team he’s been a part of since the Penguins drafted him in 2015. While he may have signed a one-year deal with the Canucks, Sprong made it clear he hopes to finally find a long-term home in Vancouver.

“I’m hoping Vancouver is not a one-year thing. That’s something with the talks we had, it’s somewhere that I could see myself being here long term and that’s really what excited me… I wanted to put myself in a situation where I can be happy and be in a situation where an opportunity is and be a part of a good team and an opportunity for me to be somewhere long term. With the team they have, it’s a great core group. You have a top three defenceman on the back end with Hughes and a top five goalie in Demko… Pettersson, Miller; Boeser had a great year last year, and when I spoke to the head coach, we talked about those things and the opportunity. That’s really what  excited me.”

Another thing you notice when you look at Sprong’s counting stats is that his ice time has always remained relatively low. His production in those limited minutes is certainly impressive, but he ultimately wants those top six minutes. But as his new coach always says, it’s a two-way street. And it sure sounds like that message has been sent loud and clear to Sprong.

“I just think I take advantage of my opportunities and the situations that I was in,” said Sprong. “I think sometimes my defensive game can be a little bit of a weakness, and it’s the coach’s trust in certain situations that affects my ice time. And that’s something we talked about, and we’re going to work on in Van, to gain the trust and be reliable in those situations, and I’m working on it over the summer to work on those details.

“It’s not just for myself; it’s for my team as well, and for the guys that I’m playing with… Those are all things we talked about, and I know what I can bring to the team and what the opportunities are by getting the trust and doing things the way they want.”

You can read our write up on Sprong’s game by clicking here.